The energy is rising again for Wyoming Indian High School basketball programs, as the ‘25-26 campaign is officially underway. Chiefs and Lady Chiefs teams are back in action, bringing a very familiar excitement at Alfred Redman Gymnasium.
The fabled “Chiefs! Chiefs! Chiefs!” chant is beginning to stoke, bringing back memories of Wyoming Indian Basketball roots and heritage.
Alfred Redman Sr. was instrumental in building – what we know today as – Chief Nation, a juggernaut basketball program featuring 425 Wins during his tenure. Along the way, grabbing six titles and formally dominating the 2A scene for decades.
Remember the 50-Game Winning Streak in 1983-85? The Chiefs won back-to-back titles with a perfect record to boast. Myron “The Magician” Chavez headlined for two straight seasons, wracking up 1,718 career points. By the way – 4x All-State, Gatorade Player of the Year 1986, and McDonald’s All-American.
That team was so good. Dennis Shoulderblade, throwing no-looks, elbow-passes, behind-the-backs – a decade before you saw it on TV; and Owen St. Clair, future athletic director and coach at Wyoming Indian.
Later in Redman’s tenure came his successor, young Craig Ferris in 1994. Ferris was a power-forward on Wyoming Indian’s back-to-back championships over ‘94-95. Today, he is the Head Coach of the Chiefs, working on his eighth title.
“When I first started coaching, I felt a lot of pressure to win a lot of games … I had that big ole’ 50-Win banner hanging over me,” Ferris laughed as he pointed to Alfred Redman’s memorial banner of the 1985 run.
Since Ferris took over in 2005, the Chiefs have won seven championships. Ferris has amassed 360 total wins in about 21 seasons. That’s an average of 18 wins per season, and 75% winning percentage.
Redman’s coaching tree doesn’t include Craig Ferris only, but also the Lady Chiefs head coach, Aleta Moss. She is the niece of Redman, and carries the same influence he had over the ladies program … and multiple nominations for National High School Coach of the Year.
Moss has been the Lady Chiefs basketball coach for 36 years now. Very well known as the winningest active coach in Wyoming history, Moss has now crossed 700 total wins. But the success didn’t come right away – in fact, it took 15 years to win her first title.
“Anymore these days, if you don’t win a championship at Wyoming Indian, it’s like a failure of a season,” laughed Moss. “But we’ve worked very hard, and we are very proud to be competing at the top every season.”
Local legends like Diana SoundingSides, paved the way for Lady Chiefs today. SoundingSides (2006) is likely the most legendary player from Moss’ tenure. She holds the state record for three-pointers in a single game (14), and was well-known for her 55-point performance, earning a spot on Sports Illustrated’s cover.
Over the last five years, the girls basketball team has risen to perennial status – winning three consecutive titles in 2019-2021, and appearing in 2025’s title. Moss won her first titles in 2003-04 when the Lady Chiefs repeated.
Both programs are so firmly rooted in their basketball heritage that nearly every single boy, and every single girl student that attends Wyoming Indian High School (WIHS) tries out for the basketball team. Of 175 total students at WIHS, about 110 kids play basketball.
Aleta Moss, Finalist of National Coach of the Year 2025 – (701+ Career Wins)
Chiefs Nation
In 2025 it’s a common philosophy to play fast and run in transition. You see it everywhere, today. But in 1980, no one was full-court pressing for four quarters; Redman’s teams were. No team was scoring 100 points in a game; Redman’s teams were. No one was playing basketball like a track team; but Redman’s teams were.
“I think that’s one of the biggest things I’ve learned from Alfred – is the conditioning,” alluded Ferris. “We hit the conditioning really hard early in the year.”
“Alfred was big on having energy in the fourth quarter, after playing fast and hard the whole game. He would press teams for four quarters to make sure the tempo was where he wanted it to be,” said Ferris.
The girls programs are quite similar under Moss – albeit the Lady Chiefs have used a more half-court offense lately. She remembers Redman’s strategies herself, and deploys them over the team today.
Both coaches know clearly what it takes to press teams until they run out of gas. That’s where the Chiefs thrive – late in the game, pressure boiling over, with superior conditioning. It’s suffocating, it’s chaotic, and it’s not for everyone.
“When you come into a season, you have to assess your personnel. That first week is very tough, and some people decide this is not for them,” said Moss.
But for most, it is. Basketball has become a part of Chiefs players DNA. With such rich history gone before them, there is a certain standard to uphold when you don the red and blue uniform. It can be a lot of pressure for a teenager.
“We try to bring in their culture. We say to them, ‘You’re representing, not only yourselves, but your whole community. We want you to be that person that people look up to,” explained Moss.
The community Moss is referring to is formally known as Chiefs Nation. It’s a clique of Wyoming Indian sports fanatics who populate one of the state’s best die-hard traditions. Chiefs Nation is an ideology, culture, and way of life. It’s a life-long commitment to Chiefs basketball, and the reason the programs are so dominant every season.
Chiefs Nation travels extremely well. In fact, they’re famous for it. Whether it be a game in Fremont County, or Natrona County, fans will be there. And they will make themselves known! If you’ve never heard an iconic “Chiefs Chant” in Ethete, you’re missing out.
If you’ve never heard the chant at an Away Game – let me break it down. It’s intimidating, inflating, ground-shaking, invigorating, and infatuating all at once. Like you wish you had your camera out to record those moments. The Chiefs are about to take over your gym, and pull away on the scoreboard.
“We have to prepare our kids, saying ‘It’s going to be loud, so focus on us’,” Ferris said with a laugh. “That following brings it builds a sense of pride and energy in our kids – they want to be a part of it,” said Ferris.
Looking Ahead
So far in 2025, the Chiefs are off to a hot start. They’ve won all eight games, taking down other 2A contenders like Wright and Tongue River. Their much anticipated matchup with Thermopolis will take place on January 8th at Alfred Redman Gymnasium in Ethete.
Returning players are Cordell Spoonhunter, a reliable scorer and rebounder with versatility. His ball handling and vision should make him a key offensive initiator this season. Last season, Spoonhunter’s season was cut short due to injury.
Also back is HeeyeiNiitou Monroe-Black, the Chiefs leading scorer and All-State Selection. Monroe-Black is the younger brother of CooXooEii Black, a former Lander Tiger legend, and Niieihii Black, former standout at Central Wyoming College (also Lander Tiger).
Role Players like Parlayne Ferris, an All-State point-guard figure for the Chiefs, and Adriano Brown, a versatile and lengthy defender, will contribute again for Wyoming Indian.
The Lady Chiefs had a rockier start this season, but still look very well. They currently hold a 5-3 record, after traveling to tournaments in Glenrock, Wright, Big Horn, and Dayton with the boys teams. Both programs had good showings, especially the Chiefs boys team. But the Lady Chiefs have something to prove after last year’s runner-up finish to Tongue River.
The Lady Chiefs played Tongue River twice before the Christmas break — on December 12th (Loss, 47-50) and again on December 18th (Win, 43-40). Both matchups were three-point games, foreshadowing another clash in 2026’s post-season brackets.
Returning for the Lady Chiefs is Paisley Blackburn, the sophomore point-guard selected to the All-State list last season. Through eight games, she averages 6.5 points per game, 3.5 boards, and 2.5 assists. Also back this year is 2x All-State Selection Taya Dixey. The power-forward averages a team-highs in points and rebounds with 12.1 points per game, and 4.4 rebounds per game. She’s currently sitting at 6th in scoring (2A West).
